There are few smokers who do not realize that they should quit. Has any smoker ever extolled the great health benefits of smoking? An ex-smoker knows what hard work it is to quit, while a non-smoker has no idea. Keep reading to find out why you should quit and how you can do it successfully.
When you feel like you need to smoke, try the delay tactic. By reminding yourself that you will revisit your feelings in ten minutes, and keeping yourself occupied while those minutes pass, you may find that your craving has vanished within that period of time. If the craving hasn’t passed, then repeat the first step again.
Find a way to quit smoking that works for you, but try to do it little by little. Trying to quit by going cold turkey is never a good idea. Unfortunately, there is a 95% failure rate among those who attempt to quit without any help. Your chances of success are the greatest with nicotine-replacement therapy or medication. You’ll be better equipped to make it through withdrawal and quit smoking permanently.
Your doctor may be able to help you quit smoking if you can’t do it by yourself. He can advise you about prescription medications available to help you and may even recommend things such as antidepressants to help with emotional withdrawals. Your doctor can also point you toward other alternative therapies, as well as toward support groups and other sources of information.
If you want to stop smoking, tell your loved ones about your plans. By entrusting the people close to you with your plan, you give them the power to help you succeed. This could be the nudge in the right direction you need to quit smoking.
Have loved ones support your decision to quit smoking. You have to talk to people and let them know what you’re going through, this is the only way you can get help. Let them know that in the beginning of the process, you will probably not be in the best of moods and that your thought processes may be off. Quitting smoking isn’t easy, and the support of the people you love is essential during the process of quitting.
While quitting smoking, rest as often as possible. Staying up late can elevate fatigue, increasing cravings for a cigarette. Sitting alone on a late night also makes you feel like you can sneak a cigarette without disappointing anyone. Sleeping eight hours each night will make it easier to focus and control nicotine cravings.
If your cold turkey effort to quit smoking failed, then get some extra help via products like nicotine patches or gum. You give your body the nicotine it is used to having so that your body doesn’t go into withdrawal by not having a substance it is used to getting regularly.
You should not try to quit smoking alone. Ask for support and encouragement from your friends and family, letting them know you want to quit and letting them give you help. Think about joining a support group in your area. Simply talking with people who are going through the same thing will help spur you on to kick the habit.
Think about using nicotine replacement alternatives when you quit smoking. When you are suffering from nicotine withdrawal, you may become annoyed, irritable, and even depressed. The cravings can be overwhelming. You can try nicotine-replacement therapy if you are having nicotine withdrawal. You will have twice the chance of giving up smoking if you use reliable nicotine patches, lozenges or gum. However, never use these types of products if you still smoke.
The first step in any plan to stop smoking, is stopping. The most effective way to begin a smoke-free life is to just stop the habit. Just try to stop completely and never pick up another cigarette. This method can seem tough. It has actually been shown to be the most effective in the long run.
Positive thinking and motivation can be a key part of quitting smoking. Imagine how your life will improve after you’ve quit smoking. Quitting smoking can improve your smell, you teeth, and eliminate the odors from your home and car. For some people, scare tactics are not an effective means of support; instead, a positive outlook and support system is far more effective.
The first few days of any quit-smoking attempt will be the hardest. The worst of your withdrawal symptoms will come during the first 48 hours and taper off as the week progresses. Once 48 hours have passed, your craving for nicotine will usually just be psychological. It is still difficult, but they will be much less menacing.
Many people enjoy the support of online communities and discussion boards. Many websites exist solely to help people quit their tobacco habit for good. You can ask about techniques that have worked for others, and share your own experience. In addition, those who are quitting with you will be able to relate to the emotional challenges that go along with smoking cessation.
Workout every day. Since you will have a better lung capacity, you will find working out easier. Regular exercise will also prevent weight gain. Endorphins from exercise can even help with nicotine withdrawal.
If you do not succeed in your first quit attempt, do not become disheartened. Quitting smoking is hard, and even a well-prepared effort may fail on occasion. Identify where your moment of weakness went wrong, and learn from this incident before you try to quit again. What you learn from one failure can help you to avoid another.
Frame quitting smoking as something you are doing for yourself, rather than to yourself. This will help you to gain motivation and increase perseverance towards your goals. Keep in mind how beneficial it is going to be to your health and quality of life, and that there are far more reasons to quit than to keep smoking. This makes quitting now seem more sensible and feasible.
When you want to quite smoking, think of it as a favor you are doing for yourself instead of a sacrifice you are making. When you see the benefits of quitting, it will be easier. Think about the pros rather than the cons. Do not dwell on the deprivations, think about the positive aspects of a nicotine free life. This keeps you on track and makes quitting seem immediately important.
Eliminate all smoking reminders from your life, and it may help you stop easier. Get rid of lighters and ashtrays. Throw your clothes in the laundry and clean your home in order to eliminate the stench of smoke. Doing this will prevent items that remind you of smoking from triggering your craving for a cigarette.
You can replace your smoking habit with exercise. Exercise causes your body to release mood-boosting endorphins, and physical activity provides distraction from your cravings when they do strike. Exercise will also help boost your metabolism to make up for the hit it takes when you quit smoking, reducing your potential weight gain.
Ask your doctor if they recommend subsidizing your quitting efforts with medication. The science of smoking cessation has come a long way. From nicotine replacement therapies, to medications that help your body overcome withdrawals, there are a multitude of available options. You should consult your doctor about any contraindications before trying a smoking cessation product.
If you find your willpower fading and you are on the verge of reaching for a cigarette, call someone for support. Tell somebody you trust that you feel tempted to smoke. The discussion will divert your attention from your craving, allowing it to subside, and you will receive the additional benefit of being reminded that you’re not trying to cope with overcoming your addiction all on your own.
Ask for help if you feel like you can’t overcome the temptation to return to cigarettes. Whether it may be a family member or a friend, open up and share what you feel regarding the temptation you are experiencing. Spending time on the phone will distract you while the craving passes, and it is good to know you have support in your battle with nicotine.
One of the most important techniques to develop when stopping smoking is motivation. You should make a thorough list of the reasons why you want to stop, as well as the benefits for stopping smoking. When you find that you are struggling to find a good reason to continue with the quitting, pull out the list and use it for motivation to keep you going.
Create a mantra based on the top reasons why you must quit. When you feel like giving up, state your reasons aloud, over and over, to help the craving pass. This will help to create positive messages in your mind.
Consider keeping a journal of the smoking habits you have developed. When do you want to smoke the most? You will not be as likely to smoke if you are prepared to resist tobacco cravings.
Sometimes smoking habits are based on oral fixations. If yours is, find a healthier way to busy your mouth. Many quitters like to use gum, hard candy, or mints to keep their mouths occupied. Electronic cigarettes can also provide fast relief.
Create some sort of rewards system for yourself while you are quitting. If you are no longer buying cigarettes, you will have a lot of extra spending money. Be sure to keep it separate from other money you are saving, so that you could keep it for a special reward for yourself. This is one of the best motivators for quitting.
When you decide you want to quit, it’s key to not give up. Most former smokers needed several tries before a quit attempt finally succeeded. Try not to fall back into smoking but if you do, quit smoking again.
When you decide to quit smoking, expect it to affect you emotionally. You will experience cravings, and it might feel easy to just give in. Journal about your cravings, and make your journal as productive as it is therapeutic, by recording exactly when you have your cravings, how strong they are and what might have triggered them. You can use this information to anticipate or even prevent future cravings.
Instead of smoking, exercise! You’ll notice you have more energy and longer workouts as your body beings to reverse the detrimental effects of smoking. As you get more fit, you are less likely to be tempted to smoke.
Tell your family and close acquaintances that you are planning to quit smoking. The more people who are aware of your efforts to quit smoking, the more people can hold you accountable. You will be less likely to want to disappoint them or fail to meet their expectations. This desire to succeed can help you to overcome the strongest cravings.
Find something else to focus on and ignore those that nag you. You’re not quitting for your critics – you’re quitting for yourself. Don’t let uppity others make you resent the fact you’re quitting; take up something else that you enjoy. If this new vice gives you an upper hand in the power struggle, you might end up stopping smoking without even realizing it.
Don’t quit smoking just because someone else wants you to, it has to be for you to work. You can feel strongly about quitting for your family, however, without the inner drive and willpower to do it for yourself, you could fail. Quitting smoking is a wonderful gift you can give yourself, and you know you will never disappoint the recipient if you stick to your word.
Have a plan to reward yourself when you are trying to quit smoking. You will save a lot of cash when you no longer have to buy cigarettes. Keep this money aside and every now and then reward yourself with something special. Having a tangible reward for not smoking will help motivate you to continue.
It shouldn’t be that hard to decide that you need to quit smoking; it is just a bad habit that only causes health illnesses and has no benefits. Look at photos of patients with advanced lung or oral cancers, or read stories written by those left behind when a loved one has passed away due to a smoking-related illness.
Many that quit can do so if they change their mental outlook. To do this, you must understand that, to quit smoking, you must focus on getting through just one more day. Furthermore, you can use cognitive behavioral therapy, along with changing your daily habits, to break your tobacco bond.
You will almost certainly be blindsided by cravings and urges for nicotine, even when you haven’t smoked for a long time. But fight the urge, and don’t give into the idea that “just one puff” won’t hurt. Remind yourself of how hard it was to quit, and ask yourself if it’s worth the trouble to do it again.
Nonsmokers have a hard time understanding how smokers can continue to smoke, even when they know how unhealthy it is. Neither can they fully understand the complexity of quitting. This article pulls from the techniques that have worked for other smokers. Use these ideas and adopt healthier habits.
